The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his recent remark suggesting that President Bola Tinubu is “competing with Buhari in incompetence.” The party described the statement as laughable, hypocritical, and unbecoming of an elder statesman.
APC’s spokesperson in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, released a statement on Thursday, saying Obasanjo had no moral ground to accuse anyone of incompetence.
“It is ironic that a man whose tenure is remembered more for political arrogance, squandered opportunities, and failed democratic subversion would have the audacity to label anyone incompetent,” Oladejo said.
The APC accused Obasanjo of mismanaging Nigeria during his time in office, pointing to alleged corruption and failed reforms.
“Let us remind Nigerians that under Obasanjo, billions spent on the power sector vanished without results. He left the economy with more foreign debt than he met, despite claiming to have paid it off. His infamous third-term agenda nearly plunged the nation into a constitutional crisis. And corruption thrived under the guise of reforms,” the statement added.
According to the APC, Nigeria’s current challenges are not solely the fault of past or present leaders but part of a long history of mismanagement, much of which, it claimed, began under Obasanjo.
“If Nigeria is still recovering from years of structural decay, Obasanjo bears a huge share of the blame. The rot didn’t start with Buhari, and it certainly isn’t being deepened by Tinubu—it started long before, under leaders who now pretend to be saints,” Oladejo said.
The party defended Tinubu’s leadership, arguing that his bold reforms were evidence of courage, not incompetence.
“President Tinubu has taken decisions no previous leader had the courage to take. Removing fuel subsidies, overhauling the foreign exchange regime, and confronting entrenched inefficiencies are not signs of incompetence, but bold actions by a leader determined to fix what others, including Obasanjo, either broke or ignored,” APC stressed.
The Lagos APC further described Obasanjo as bitter and desperate for attention, accusing him of repeatedly undermining sitting presidents to remain relevant.
“Obasanjo’s bitterness is well-known. He cannot control this government and resents that Nigeria has moved on from his brand of egocentric, do-or-die politics. His habit of attacking sitting presidents after losing relevance has become predictable and pathetic.
We strongly advise the former president to show some decorum, especially at his age. Elders are expected to advise, not agitate. If he has nothing constructive to say, silence would serve him—and the country—better than these attention-seeking outbursts,” the statement said.
The party concluded by saying that Tinubu is focused on rebuilding Nigeria, not competing with past leaders.
“President Tinubu is not in competition with Obasanjo or anyone else. He is focused on the future. Nigeria is on a path of reform, recovery, and renewal—and no amount of potshots from bitter yesterday’s men will derail that journey,” APC declared.
